The Falcon Fever Dance Team from Hanford High School in Richland earned top honors at the state dance championships in Yakima last weekend.

The team competed in the "kick" and "jazz/dance" events and won both. The team competed against teams from 1A, 2A and 3A schools.

"The girls worked so hard. They did such a good job. They did the absolute best they could have done," said coach Rachael Morgan, who also teaches at Hanford High.

Team members are: seniors Megan Baker and Katie Palmus; juniors Paris Wilson, Haylee Tayamen and Sydney Dale; sophomores Sarah Hughes and Tayler Warner; and freshmen Eva Grate, Bethany McClendon, Sophie Cavanah, Kelsey Manning, Alexandra Martin and Kayla Kammenzind.

The team's manager and make-up artist is Zach Werry, a Hanford senior.

This is the sixth straight year the team has taken top honors in kick and jazz/dance.

The team practices several days a week, 11 months out of the year, Morgan said.

Anna Merrifield, a former Falcon dancer who now is part of the University of Cincinnati dance team, did the choreography. Tryouts for next year's Hanford dance team are in May.